“Good judgment, common sense, and reason all fly out the window when emotions kick down your door.” – Hall of Fame coach John Wooden

The pressure of competition creates an atmosphere where only the mentally tough athletes find the most success. The ability to control emotions and thoughts is necessary for maintaining composure, and essential for developing mental focus on the basketball court. A composed athlete realizes they are consistently in control of their actions, but most importantly the control of their reactions to all circumstances and surrounding situations. The development of composure as an athlete directly enhances performance and improves basketball confidence both on and off the court.

Playing with passion and emotion are important for achieving full potential, but a player with composure understands how to manage their emotions effectively. They are not ruled by highs and lows of reactions to adversity, feeling out of control or overwhelmed by an opponent. Rather, a player with composure utilizes their emotions in planned and practiced responses to any situation they encounter. Successful athletes prepare their mental focus and thoughts to remain steady no matter what the situation, and as a result their mental game of basketball grows exponentially. Mental toughness requires the successful athlete to fully harness the power of emotion into superior performance on the hardwood.

Sports psychology for basketball utilizes exercises such as visualization to develop composure and strengthen mental toughness. The athlete imagines any possible circumstance whether it occurs during practice or in a game situation. Next, they visualize their reaction to each scenario in a composed, controlled manner. They reenact their perfect reaction to all situations, and they continually reinforce their self opinion that they are indeed a composed athlete. Their belief system maintains the knowledge of their mental control of emotions. The identity the athlete aspires for is the identity they will eventually become.

Understanding breathing techniques is another method to physically maintain composure in high pressure situations. When an athlete feels agitated or overwhelmed by a situation, their breathing becomes quicker, shallower, and less effective in oxygenating the blood. The mentally tough athlete manages their breathing, which also reduces stress and improves their ability to sustain a strong focus and concentration.

Another effective practice to gaining composure is the constant analysis of emotions and reactions. Ask the questions “Is my reaction helpful in achieving my goals?” or “Are my emotions working for me or against me?” on a regular basis. Mentally tough athletes with composure positively affect their teammates as well.

Coach Pat Riley understands how composure provides stronger individual focus, but also joins a team together. He said, “There can only be one state of mind as you approach any profound test; total concentration, a spirit of togetherness, and strength.”

All great leaders possess composure, and steady the emotions and mental focus of those around them. The basketball athlete that learns composure inspires basketball confidence both in himself as well as his teammates. And a team with composure is a winning team.